by Tim Cope
Bulat—the Karakalpak herder-for-hire—at the ranch near Kulsary where I fell ill with food poisoning.
A Kalmyk herder near Tavan Gashun, Kalmykia, Russia.
The Golden Temple in Elista, Kalmykia—the largest Buddhist temple in geographical Europe. Founded and completed in 2005. Igor Shpilenok
A male saiga (Saiga tatarica) on the Kalmyk steppe. Its horns, much sought after as a Chinese flu remedy, have made it the target of rampant poaching. Saiga are now critically endangered. Igor Shpilenok
This Kalmyk man in the village of Ul’dyuchiny lived through the deportation of his people to Siberia during World War II, and their return to their homeland in 1957.
A Cossack Ataman of the Kuban with his son, both in traditional dress.
Luti (left) and his driver, Lokha—my unlikely saviors in Timashevsk, Krasnodar Krai, Russia.
Ogonyok, Taskonir, and Utebai happily grazing in one of the first fields I had seen on my journey … only moments before I am told that they have ruined a winter crop of barley. Stavropol Krai.
Cossacks of the Kuban, a once proud horseback society, have become cultivators of the hallowed chernozem (black soils).
Taskonir, Tigon, and I stand on the edge of the Karabi Jayla, Crimea, overlooking the Black Sea. The high plains of the Crimean Mountain range were once a summer haven for nomadic Tatars.
Me bathing in the Black Sea waters with the palomino gelding, Kok.
Seryoga, a Russian from Staryi Krym, spent two weeks leading me through the forest and mountains of Crimea.
Three elderly Crimean Tatar women who survived the deportation of their people to Central Asia and Siberia in 1944 and have returned. Here, they sit in near the picket line in Bakchisaray, where Tatars are lobbying for the removal of a market, built in the 1990s, from Eski Yurt—the site of an ancient city dating to the seventh century, where generations of spiritual leaders and Tatar khans are buried.
Riot police try to keep the peace in Bakchisaray.
The old quarters of Bakchisaray.
One of the Tatar musicians, who played a concert in the Khan’s Palace, Bakchisaray.
One of the last photos of our family taken together with my father. I am standing with my brothers Cameron (left) and Jonathan (right). My sister, Natalie, my father, Andrew, and my mother, Anne, are seated, with our family dog, Pepper, who died during my early weeks in Kazakhstan. Photo taken November 2003, eight months before I began my journey.
Tigon looking for a pat from Ferona, the ninety-three-year-old babushka in the village of Dumaniv, who learned to read at age eighty-three.
A Hutsul man in traditional dress at the church in Berezhnytsia on Saint Nikolai Day. The felt hats are known as krysani, and the heavy sheepskin vests are kyptars.
Ivan Ribaruk, the Hutsul priest of Krivorivnya who hosted me, finishes the ceremony in Berezhnytsia. With him is eighty-four-year-old hat maker, Vasil.
Yuri Wadislow carefully guides my horses over a snowdrift high on the Chorna Gora ridge of the Carpathians, Western Ukraine.
Tigon poses on a peak in the Carpathians. By this stage of the journey, he has grown into adulthood, run probably more than 15,000 km, and even become a father.
The tail end of the Svidovets ridge. I’m riding Taskonir and leading Ogonyok and Kok. Note the dog lead—sometimes necessary in Ukraine and Russia where there was a risk of him being shot by sheep herders or eating mouse poison in the fields.
Guardians of Hungarian nomadic heritage. Kassai Lajos, demonstrating his prowess as a horseback archer.
Tamas Petrosko, who rode from Bashkiria in Russia to the Danube on horseback in honor of his ancestors.
A Csikos horseman on the Hortobagy steppe.
Istvan Vismeg from Sarospatak.
Peter Kun’s Kazakh yurt at his steppe ranch in the Hortobágy Puszta.
A Przewalskii stallion at a scientific reserve on the Hortobágy. The Przewalskii—a wild species of equine, known in Mongolian as takhi—is thought to be the closest living link to the original wild horse of the Eurasian steppe that was domesticated at least 5,500 years ago.
I dismount on the banks of the Danube—the end of the steppe, and the completion of my journey.
Glossary
For the benefit of readers I have created a glossary of common and important foreign terms used in the text. I have categorized them according to the country of origin of the term. Separately I have provided a list of the Mongol khans and military leaders referred to in the book. There are also lists of other important historical figures, and steppe peoples and empires.
A note about transliteration: there are various formulas for transliterating Mongolian, Kazakh (which is a Turkic language), Russian, and Ukrainian to English. In some cases I have decided to stick with the most commonly found spelling in English, particularly for historical figures. Genghis Khan is a good example—that spelling is widely known in the English-speaking world, even though his name is more accurately transliterated from Mongolian as Chinggis Khaan or Jenghiz Khan.
For Kazakh terms, there is a convention of writing the Kazakh letter k as q, in English, but for ease of reading I have retained this as K. So for example, Qyzylorda becomes Kyzylorda.
In the majority of cases, whether they relate to people, places, or other terminology, I have tried to stick with the spelling that most closely resembles pronunciation in the indigenous tongue.
Note that the letter ы which is similarly pronounced in Kazakh, Russian, and Ukrainian as a hard, unrounded i (such as in the word silly) is transliterated in my book as y.
MONGOLIAN TERMS
Aaruul A traditional dairy product made from dried curd, commonly found among steppe cultures. Known in Kazakh as kurt.
Aimag Traditionally meaning “tribe” in Turkic and Mongolian; now describes administrative subdivisions of Mongolia.
Airag Fermented mare’s milk. Also known across the steppe by the Turkic term kumys (sometimes spelled “koumiss”).
Boortsog A deep fried dough common among steppe cultures. Known in Kazakh as baursak.
Borts Meat cut into strips and hung to dry from the ceiling of a ger or yurt, then crushed.
Deel Long-sleeved long robe traditionally worn by Mongolians and many other peoples of the steppe; held in place by a belt or sash.
Ger Portable tent of steppe nomads, constructed with collapsible lattice walls and roof poles that support an insulating layer of wool felt. More broadly known as a yurt (note that apart from my Mongolian chapters, I have used the term yurt in my book to refer to these tents).
Khan Title of a sovereign or military ruler among the Turkic-Mongol societies of the steppe and Central Asia. Also known in Mongolian as khaan or kahn, or by the Turkic term kagan.
Nermel arkhi Clear alcoholic beverage, usually distilled from yak or cow’s milk; commonly known by outsiders as “Mongol vodka.”
Nomkhon Calm, still; often used in relation to a good-natured, quiet horse.
Nuur Lake.
Ovoo Mongolian cairn of rocks and sometimes timber, often found on passes and mountaintops; sites of worship for travelers to pause and venerate the mountains, and offer acknowledgment and prayer to tengri.
Tavan tolgoi mal Five-animal herd (sheep, goat, camel, horse, and yak/cattle); symbol of wealth and prestige among nomads.
Tengri Supreme deity many ancient steppe cultures once worshipped, including Mongolians, many Turkic nomad peoples of Central Asia, and even Hungarians. “Tengrism,” which has features of shamanism, animism, totemism, and ancestor worship, is recognized as once having been an organized religion. In what is now modern-day Kazakhstan, Tengrism survived an invasion of Christianity in the sixth century, then Judaism in the seventh. Between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries, Tengrism competed with Islam and was ultimately superseded. In Mongolia today, many Mongolians practice a blend of Buddhism and worship of tengri. Tengri—known as Tenger in modern Mongolian—is also the the term for “sky.”
Uul Mountain.
&nb
sp; Zud Particularly harsh winter of the steppe that usually leads to heavy losses of livestock. There are a variety of types of zud, ranging from very cold winters, winters with lots of snow or ice, or even harin zud—black Zud—when there is no snow at all. Zuds are known in Kazakh language as zhut, and in Russian as dzhut.
KAZAKH TERMS
Airan Fermented cow’s milk.
Akim Mayor; head of local government.
Ak-shi A variety of grass (Achnatherum splendens or Stipa splendens) that grows on the steppe in tall, tight tussocks and which is used for many Kazakh handicrafts and practical applications in nomad life.
Akyn A talented musical performer traditionally chosen to represent a certain kinship group or family among Kazakhs.
Aul Historically, a community of nomads who camped together in vicinity of a single region, and sometime migrated together. Nowadays used to describe a Kazakh village.
Barimta Traditional form of justice in nomad society that ordinarily involved avenging a crime by stealing the offender’s livestock and keeping it for ransom until the dispute was resolved.
Batyr Honorific title given to a Kazakh warrior hero. A baytr was part of the aksuyet, aristocracy of Kazakh nomadic society.
Baursak Deep-fried dough meal of Kazakh nomads. Same as boortsog in Mongolian.
Beshbarmak Meaning “five fingers” (because of the way the meal is eaten with one’s hands), the Kazakh national dish of meal and boiled squares of pastry, often cooked with wild onion.
Biys Traditional title of elected leader or judge in Kazakh society; part of the aksuyet, aristocracy of Kazakh nomadic society.
Buran Fierce windstorms of the steppe, accompanied by a whiteout that can last for days. Known in Mongolian as shuurgan zud.
Chaban Kazakh nomad herder.
Dastarkhan Traditional low table of Kazakh nomads; also, table mat spread out on the ground or floor; or, more generally, Kazakh tradition of hospitality.
Dombra Traditional long-necked, two-stringed lute of the Kazakhs.
Dzhabe Kazakh breed of horse renowned for its endurance, strength, and ability to hold its weight even when fodder is scarce. My horses Taskonir and Ogonyok were both of the dzhabe breed. Kazakhs say that their nation was “built on the back of the dzhabe.”
Jalau Summer pasture. Same as jayla in Crimean Tatar language.
Jeti-su Fertile region of southeast Kazakhstan between Lake Balkhash and the Tien Shan Mountains, known as semirechye in Russian. It owes its name to the “seven waters” (or rivers) that flow through the region from the Tien Shan to Lake Balkhash. The Jeti-su has historically been a strategically valued region for empires of Central Asia.
Juz A confederation of nomad tribes, of which there are three that make up the nation of Kazakhstan. The Ula Juz (Elder Horde), Kishi Juz (Junior Horde), and the Orta Juz (Middle Horde).
Kalym Bride-price.
Kstau Winter quarters of Kazakh nomads, usually a semipermanent mud-brick house with corrals for the animals.
Kumys Fermented mare’s milk; also written in English as “koumiss.” Same as airag in Mongolian.
Kurt A traditional dairy product made from dried curd, commonly found among steppe cultures. Same as aaruul in Mongolian.
Kurultai Political and military council of ancient Mongol and Turkic chiefs and khans. The root of the word kural or khural means “meeting” in the Mongolian language, as in “Great State Khural.”
Kyl terlek Saddle blanket woven from horsetail hair. Although it is a Kazakh term, it roughly means “summer deel (or underwear) for horse” in Mongolian—evidence perhaps of a wide tradition of its use in the past.
Oralman Expatriate Kazakh whose ancestors fled Kazakhstan during times of war or to escape the privations of the Stalin era; expatriates who have returned to Kazakhstan since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Otamal Sudden cold snap that usually occurs in mid-March, just when it appears the winter has passed.
Saksaul Small, bush-like tree (Haloxylon spp.) of the arid steppes and deserts of Eurasia; traditionally played an important role in nomad life as a source of firewood, shelter, and, in emergencies, even water.
Shubat Camel milk.
Tazi A sight hound of Central Asia renowned for its ability to run over long distances; traditionally used for hunting fox and hare. Due to its nature as a quiet, short-haired dog, it is the only breed Kazakhs—as nominal Muslims—allowed into their dwellings. Tigon’s father was a purebred Tazi.
Zhut Particularly harsh winter of the steppe that usually leads to heavy livestock losses. Same as zud in Mongolian and dzhut in Russian.
RUSSIAN TERMS
Babushka Grandmother, old woman.
Banya A kind of traditional sauna used for bathing and washing.
Chernozem Rich “black soils” found in southern Russia, Ukraine, and some northern parts of Kazakhstan.
Dacha The summer villages of city people across the Soviet Union, used primarily for growing vegetables to supply families through winter.
Krai (Rus.) Administrative division of Russia, historically describes territories that were on the frontier of the Russian empire. Equivalent to a province or state, and holds the same status as an oblast.
Kulaks Originally used to describe independent and relatively prosperous peasant farmers of the early twentieth century in Russia, but after the Bolshevik revolution described any farmer not handing over his property to the state.
Lada Soviet (and now Russian) make of car.
Moskvich Small sedan car of the Soviet era.
Oblast Administrative division in Slavic countries (and Kazakhstan), equivalent to a province or state.
Solonchak Salt marshes, salt pans, salt flats.
Ural motorbike Sidecar motorcycle that was a workhorse in Soviet times and is still widely used across the former Soviet Union.
Valenki Traditional knee-high felt boots.
COSSACK TERMS
Ataman Leader; may range from administrator of a regional community to the commander of a Cossack army (as was the case during the Russian Empire).
Horilka Vodka; technically a Ukrainian term.
Khutor Traditionally meaning a single farming homestead but came to describe small Cossack settlements that were not big enough to warrant a church.
Samohon Home-brewed vodka; technically a Ukrainian term.
Stanitsa Traditionally, a unit of economic and political organization among Cossacks; has come to describe Cossack towns and regional centers large enough to support a church.
CRIMEAN TATAR TERMS
Jayla Summer pasture of nomads, generally used to describe the various alpine uplands of the Crimean Mountains. Same meaning as jalau in Kazakh.
Mejlis Central executive body of the kurultai of Crimean Tatars, founded in 1991; acts as a representative body for the Crimean Tatars to the Ukrainian central government, the Crimean government, and international bodies.
UKRAINIAN TERMS
Horilka Vodka.
Krysani traditional stiff bowler hats of the Hutsuls.
Kyptars traditional heavy sheepskin vests of the Hutsuls, usually embellished with colorful braided cords, buttons, sequins, and studs.
Polonina High alpine pastures of the Carpathians, used by the Hutsul people for summer grazing of their livestock.
Samohon Home-brewed vodka.
HUNGARIAN TERMS
Komondor Traditional Hungarian breed of dog renowned for its long, matted white coat.
Pálinka traditional Hungarian fruit brandy.
Puszta Steppe.
MONGOLIAN KHANS AND MILITARY LEADERS OF THE MONGOL EMPIRE MENTIONED IN THIS BOOK
Arikboke Grandson of Genghis Khan, the youngest son of Tolui. In 1260–64 Arikboke fought against his brother Khubilai for ascendancy to the throne of the grand khan of the Mongol Empire. He was defeated, and died in 1266.
Batu Khan Grandson of Genghis Khan, and son of Jochi. Ruler of the Golden Horde (including the territories of Russia) from 1227 until his
death in 1255.
Genghis Khan United the Mongolian and Turkic tribes of the Mongolian plateau and in 1206 founded the Mongol Empire; considered to have conquered more territory in his lifetime than any other single conqueror in history. Born in 1162, died in 1227.
Hulegu Khan Grandson of Genghis Khan, son of Tolui, who founded the Ilkhanate of Persia. Hulegu died in 1265.
Jebe One of Genghis Khan’s most important commanders, who, together with Subodei, led the first Mongol conquest of Russia in 1223. Jebe is thought to have died some time after this campaign en route back to Central Asia. In Mongolian, Jebe is zev, meaning “arrow.”
Jochi Oldest son of Genghis Khan. After his father’s death he was given the westernmost lands conquered in Genghis Khan’s lifetime, from the Irtysh to the Ural River; his descendants went on to rule the Golden Horde (also known as the Ulus of Jochi, or the Kipchak Khanate.) Jochi died in 1227, the same year as his father.
Khubilai Khan Grandson of Genghis Khan, son of Tolui; became the leader of the Yuan Dynasty, the territories of which included China and Mongolia. Established the khanate’s summer capital, Xanadu, and the Yuan Dynasty capital, Khanbalikh. Khubilai fought a brief war against his brother, Arikboke, in the 1260s for the ascendancy to the throne of the grand khan of the Mongol empire. Khubilai was victorious and is considered to have ruled the Yuan dynasty from the 1260s until his death in 1294.